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This Pistachio Pesto Pasta is bursting with fresh flavors and crunch! Al dente pasta is tossed in homemade pistachio pesto, then topped with garlicky pistachio breadcrumbs to give you a satisfying spring or summer meal in 30 minutes. Vegan, Gluten-Free Option.
Pasta with Pistachio Pesto Sauce is here to give your everyday pesto pasta an upgrade. Featuring homemade pistachio pesto sauce and a buttery pistachio breadcrumb topping, this pasta dinner is seriously amazing! From the fresh flavors to the gorgeous presentation, I know you’ll love every bite.
Table of Contents
A Pistachio Pesto Party in 30 Minutes
I don’t often find myself with a ton of extra pistachios lying around, but when I do, I know I have to make this Vegan Pistachio Pesto Pasta. Just like Arugula Pesto and my Nut-Free Pesto, it puts a fun twist on basil pesto sauce using simple ingredient swaps. The best part, though, is that it’s just as addictive as the classic version!
Pistachios are used as a substitute for pine nuts in this pesto recipe, but you won’t notice much of a difference. They’re about as buttery and rich as pine nuts, helping them blend seamlessly into the sauce. As for the extra nuts, they’re chopped finely and tossed with toasted garlic breadcrumbs for a nutty and crunchy pasta topping you’re going to want to use on everything.
Easy to make ahead of time and requiring only 10 minutes of hands-on cooking, this pistachio pesto pasta recipe is a serious weeknight dinner game-changer!
Ingredients for Pistachio Pesto Pasta
This recipe transforms a handful of basic ingredients into a vibrant and fresh dinner you’ll want to make on repeat during spring and summer. Traditionally, pesto is made with pine nuts, but they’re swapped for pistachios for a buttery and slightly more budget-conscious twist. Here’s what you need:
- Pasta: any type of pasta works here, but noodles with ridges, like rigatoni, will scoop up the pesto and breadcrumbs with ease.
- Pistachios: roasted and salted pistachios are pulling double duty in this recipe. They’re used as a substitute for pine nuts in the pesto AND toasted alongside the garlic and panko breadcrumbs to make a buttery, rich, and crispy topping for the pesto pasta. I used shelled pistachios because I couldn’t find roasted and salted unshelled nuts, but you can use de-shelled unsalted nuts to save time (more on this in the Tips below).
- Panko Breadcrumbs: these light and airy Japanese breadcrumbs form the base of the crumbly, crispy topping you never knew you needed on pasta night. Feel free to use regular breadcrumbs if that’s what you already have on hand.
- Fresh Basil: other than my Arugula Pesto, you’ll find fresh basil leaves in most pesto recipes. Use the freshest Italian basil leaves you can find with very few or no brown spots.
- Olive Oil: the breadcrumbs are toasted in olive oil to make them golden and buttery-tasting. Extra virgin olive oil is blended into the pesto to smooth it out and give it plenty of body.
How to Make Pasta with Pistachio Pesto
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain the pasta.
- Meanwhile, pulse some of the pistachios in a food processor until finely chopped. Set aside.
- Add the remaining pistachios, garlic, lemon juice, and red chili flakes to the now-empty food processor. Pulse until the pistachios and garlic are finely chopped. Add the basil and parmesan and pulse again until chopped. With the processor still running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto is mostly smooth.
- Warm the olive oil in a saucepan, then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the breadcrumbs and toast until they start to turn golden. Stir in the chopped pistachios and toast until the breadcrumbs are fully golden. Transfer the pistachio breadcrumbs to a small plate.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the pistachio pesto until well coated. Divide the pesto pasta between bowls, top with the pistachio breadcrumbs, and garnish with fresh basil and parmesan.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Shelled vs. de-shelled pistachios: I had an easier time finding roasted and salted shelled pistachios. Yes, this meant I had to spend an extra 5 or 10 minutes de-shelling each nut, but it was worth it for the great balance of flavors! You can use unsalted de-shelled pistachios if you want to save time, but I recommend adding 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the pesto in step 3 and 1/8 teaspoon salt to the breadcrumbs in step 4.
- Don’t skimp on the EVOO! I always recommend splurging on the highest quality EVOO you can find when making pesto from scratch because there is nowhere for the flavors to hide. If you can’t make out the differences in quality while you’re shopping, use this article from Food & Wine as a guide!
Serving Suggestions
Vegan pistachio pesto pasta makes regular weeknight dinners feel a little more fancy. Between the homemade pesto and the custom pistachio breadcrumbs, it’s just plain impressive. Start the meal with this Classic Lentil Soup or this Everyday Kale Salad as an appetizer, then pair each plate of pasta with a few slices of this Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread. If you need some sides, these Dijon Garlic Roasted Potatoes or these Tomato Beans can help round out the dinner.
If you’re looking for more impressive vegan pasta dinners, you’ll also love this Spicy Sausage Fennel Pasta, this Triple Garlic Pasta, and this Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta!
And if you’re looking for more ways to use vegan pistachio pesto, enjoy it in this 3-Ingredient Pesto Star Bread, this Pesto Orzo Salad, or on these Grilled Pesto Tofu Sliders.
How to Store Leftover Pesto Pasta
I recommend serving this pasta as soon as it’s assembled. If you end up with leftovers, pack them into an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. The noodles will soften as they absorb the pesto, but they will still taste good. It’s a good rule of thumb to store the leftover pasta separately from the pistachio breadcrumbs to keep them crispy, too.
You can also make the pistachio pesto and pistachio breadcrumbs in advance. Transfer the blended pesto to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 2 months. Once the breadcrumbs are cool, transfer them to a ziplock bag or an airtight container and store them in your pantry for up to 1 week.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free Option: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta noodles and replace the breadcrumbs with gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
- Optional Vegetable Add-Ins: Sun-dried tomatoes, roasted or sautéed cherry tomatoes, steamed broccoli, or blanched leafy greens can all be combined with the pesto and pasta in step 5.
- For a Protein Boost: Swap the regular pasta for protein pasta or combine the pasta and pesto with a can of drained and rinsed white beans (like cannellini beans or butter beans). Alternatively, top the assembled pasta with my Crispy Tofu or my Baked Tempeh.
Recipe FAQs
Pistachios are great in pesto! Compared to pine nuts, they give the sauce a slightly richer, more buttery flavor and contribute to its vibrant green color.
This recipe makes approximately 1 cup of pistachio pesto, which is just enough to coat 8 ounces of cooked pasta. You can always double the batch to have extras on hand for homemade pizza, sandwiches, salads, and more.
If you’re making a big batch of pesto, pour the extras into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. Transfer the cubes to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Pistachio Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
- 8 ounces rigatoni
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Fresh basil and parmesan for garnish
For the Breadcrumbs:
- 1/4 cup roasted & salted pistachios*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
For the Pistachio Pesto:
- 1/4 cup roasted & salted pistachios*
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- Juice of 1/2 lemon 1 tablespoon
- 0.75 ounce fresh basil de-stemmed (about 1 packed cup)
- 1/4 cup finely grated vegan parmesan* or sub 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes optional
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the rigatoni and salt; stir well. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the pasta until it has reached an al dente texture (check the package instructions for cook time). Drain the pasta, but do not rinse.
- Pistachio Breadcrumbs: While the water is coming to a boil, add 1/4 cup of pistachios to a food processor with an S-blade attachment. Pulse the pistachios until they are finely chopped, resembling the same size and texture as breadcrumbs. Remove from the food processor and set aside.
- Pistachio Pesto: Return the empty food processor to its base and add the remaining 1/4 cup pistachios, garlic, lemon juice, and red chili flakes if using. Pulse until the pistachios and garlic are finely chopped, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula as necessary. Add the basil and parmesan to the food processor and pulse again until chopped. Close the food processor and turn it on, slowly drizzling the olive oil into the basil mixture through the opening in the top. Process until the basil is finely chopped and the mixture is mostly smooth but with some texture, scraping down the food processor as necessary. If the pesto is too thick for your liking, add additional olive oil in 1 tablespoon increments. Set aside.
- Cook the Breadcrumbs: Warm the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 45 to 60 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant but before it starts to brown. Add the panko breadcrumbs to the oil and mix well. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the breadcrumbs are beginning to turn golden. Add the chopped pistachios from step 2 and toast for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are fully golden. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately transfer the breadcrumbs to a small plate or bowl so they do not burn. Set aside.
- Combine: Return the pasta to the pot (or the breadcrumb pan) and add all of the pesto. Mix well, until all of the pasta is evenly coated in pesto. Add any salt or red pepper flakes to taste, if necessary.
- Serve: Divide the pasta between serving bowls and top with a generous amount of pistachio breadcrumbs. Serve warm; store any breadcrumb and pasta leftovers in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free panko breadcrumbs to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Pistachios: It is much easier for me to find shelled pistachios that are already salted, so I made the recipe with this in mind. Because the amount of salt used can vary between brands, I recommend only adding salt to the pasta water and to the pesto (if necessary) after combining with the pasta. If you are using unsalted pistachios, I recommend adding 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the pesto in step 3, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to the breadcrumbs in step 4.
Delicious! I am on a pistachio kick and this was a great way to use them in a savory setting. Uses half a box of standard pasta, so you can make this twice, or easily double to use the whole box. The pesto came together easily in my handheld blender with the food processor attachment. I used violife vegan parm for the parmesan. I topped with extra lemon juice and salt + pepper to serve. To keep the leftovers, I stored the pasta (coated in the pesto) separately from the breadcrumbs to keep them crispy. Thanks Caitlin for the great recipe!
So happy you enjoyed
This is so good! It’s very easy to make and extremely satisfying. The pistachio breadcrumbs add great texture. My omnivore partner also approved!
So happy you both enjoyed!